Dear Students, Parents, Carers and Families,

Welcome back! It has been wonderful to see so many smiling faces as we begin the 2026 school year. Students have settled beautifully into their new classes, and during my visits to classrooms, I have been delighted to see well-organised, engaged groups of learners. Thank you to all parents and carers for preparing your children so well for the start of the year. A special welcome to our new families and students! We know you will quickly become valued members of our positive school community.

I hope the school holiday break provided a great opportunity to spend time together and create special memories. I enjoyed a refreshing holiday break and am excited to begin the school year with you all. I extend my sincere thanks to our staff for creating such a positive and welcoming atmosphere throughout the school this week. Our classrooms are settled, warm and inviting learning environments, which is a true credit to the dedication and preparation undertaken by our staff for a strong start to the year.

We are pleased to be starting the year with familiar staff faces, with all of our wonderful team continuing with us. I also extend a very warm welcome to our returning staff member, Anna Banovic, who has helped create a positive and enthusiastic atmosphere to begin the school year.

Teaching Teams

Student Leaders

Our 2026 Student Leaders were announced in the final week of the previous school year. These students were selected based on their leadership qualities, positive attitude, and commitment to our school values. They will play an important role in representing our student body, supporting school initiatives, and acting as positive role models for their peers.

Congratulations to our 2026 School Leaders: Mason, Jay, Aisha and Bianca! I look forward to working closely with our leaders this year as they take on this important responsibility and contribute to making 2026 a successful and rewarding year for our school community.

Maintenance Update

During the holiday break, we completed significant maintenance works, including the asphalting of our basketball courts and the main car park. These upgrades have greatly improved the safety, functionality and appearance of these areas. It has been wonderful to see students and community members already making the most of the newly resurfaced spaces.

These improvements are part of our ongoing commitment to maintaining high-quality facilities that support school pride, student wellbeing and learning. We thank our school community for their fundraising efforts that have helped support this major project with an approximate total cost of $76,000.

2026 School Year

Please keep in mind the following dates to support your family over the coming year:

Term	Start date	Finish date
Term 1	Wednesday 28 January	Thursday 2 April
Student Free Day Friday 6th March
Term 2	Monday 20 April	Friday 26 June
Student Free Day Tuesday 9th June
Term 3	Monday 13 July	Friday 18 September
Student Free Day Monday 13th July
Term 4	Monday 5 October	Friday 18 December
Student Free Day Friday 27th November

2026 Parent Teacher 'Getting to Know You' Interviews

On Monday 23 February and Tuesday 24 February, we will be holding our 2026 Parent–Teacher Getting to Know You Interviews.

These short meetings provide a valuable opportunity for teachers to learn more about your child/ren and to understand how we can best support their learning and wellbeing at school.

When: Ten-minute appointments between 3:30pm and 5:00pm on either Monday 23 February or Tuesday 24 February

Where: Your child’s classroom

Appointments can be booked via COMPASS.

If you have any questions, please speak with your child’s classroom teacher.

Help with school costs & Stationery Packs

Families are encouraged to contact myself or the school office if you are having difficulty with school costs. There are options if you're having difficulties with school costs.

You can:

talk to your the principal (Moniba) about your situation. We may be able to arrange a payment plan or look at other options.
ask about support from State Schools' Relief and the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund
use the payment and service finder to see if you can get support from the Commonwealth government.
Real Support Right Now can help families with the cost of living and education.
use the Crisis Referral Information System to find support near you.

For more information for parents, refer to Help with school costs and fees.

Student Attendance - Every Day Counts

We all want our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school each and every day. Missing school can have a major impact on a child’s future – a student missing one day a fortnight will miss four full weeks by the end of the year. By Year 10 they’ll have missed more than a year of school. There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes.

Coming to school every day is vital, but if for any reason your child must miss school, there are steps you can take to ensure they don’t fall behind:

Speak with your classroom teacher or the Team Leader and find out what work your child needs to do to keep up.
Organise a time with the school’s Wellbeing Team to discuss an attendance improvement plan and strategies that might help at home.

Education really is a partnership and I acknowledge the work done at home and at school to ensure school is engaged with each and everyday.

Supervision of Students in the Playground Before and After School

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students, we ask that students arrive at school after 8:35am each morning. Before this time, supervision is not provided by the school, and children should not be on the school grounds without direct parent supervision. Families who require earlier care may use TheirCare, our Outside School Hours Care provider.

At the end of the school day, the school provides supervision for all students until 3:30pm. After this time, it is the responsibility of parents or caregivers to collect and supervise their children. Any students not collected by 3:30pm will be sent to TheirCare, with associated costs incurred by the family.

Maramba Communication Plan

At Maramba, we value strong partnerships between home and school and recognise that clear, timely communication is essential in supporting student wellbeing and learning.

Our educators use a range of agreed communication channels to keep families informed and connected. These include:

School newsletters and Compass for whole-school updates, events, reminders and important notices
Instagram account @marambaps to share highlights
Phone calls or emails for individual student matters
Scheduled meetings to discuss student progress or concerns
Class Dojo for learning updates

We encourage families to use Compass and the school office (03 97967150) as the first point of contact for general enquiries and messages. For classroom-related matters, teachers can be contacted via Compass or email, and will respond within a reasonable timeframe during school hours.

By following our Maramba Communication Plan, we aim to ensure communication is respectful, consistent and supportive, strengthening our shared commitment to every child’s success.

Kind regards,

Moniba Ehsan and Stephanie Sharp

Principal and Assistant Principal

Birthdays

Happy Birthday to the Students and Staff who will celebrate their birthdays this week and next week.